The 29-year-old is thought to have been near the bar shortly before the explosion

His brother Dan praised the "astonishing" emergency services and the people of the city as he told the Manchester Evening News about the heartbreak of discovering his brother, 29, was among those killed.

Dan said he knew early on that if his brother had gone to get a drink or to the toilet he was likely to be among those fatally wounded - but the family faced a heart-wrenching wait to have their fears confirmed.

He told the MEN: "Me and my sisters were whisked away from my house in a police car and driven at 90 mph down the A6 with blue lights on.